Movable display apparatus



Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNIT@ HORACE S. WILSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISivrovABLn DISPLAY APPARATUS Appli-cation led May 31, 1929. Serial No.367,230.

This invention relates to advertising or display apparatus of a sortwhereby a wide variety of movements and displays may be presented byappropriate variation of the display features and the motion controlelements.

A general obj ect of the invention is the provision of a movable displayapparatus susceptible of embodiment in divers forms such 1o as topresent a great variety of displays and movements, and yet of verysimple and inexpensive construction.

Another object is the provision of such an apparatus which may be packedand shipped,

in knocked-down condition, in a very small compass, and may be assembledwith certainty and facility.

Another object is the provision of such an apparatus which will give asuitably selected irregular or eccentric movement of display parts, vandyet in which the actuating and movement control features are very simplebut very certain in operation.

Other and further objects of the invention r will be indicated orpointed out hereinafter, or will be apparent on an understanding or useof the invention. u

For the purpose of aiding in the disclosure of the invention, I show inthe accompanying drawing forming part of this specication, oneembodiment of the same, but it is to be understood that this ispresented merely by way of example, and is not to be construed in anyfashion such as to limit the claims short of the true and mostcomprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of an advertising display embodyingthe invention;

and

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same in perspective.

Movable advertising displays, as for window or counter use in stores,vhave pronounced advantage in attracting the eye. Due to the transitorynature of advertising displays, however, the question of the cost is ofvery great importance, and there has been a very pronounced need formovable displays 5 which can be produced economically, yet

which at the same time will be simple in construction and require verysmall space, particularly in depth. The present invention provides aconstruction whereby great variety of movements may be obtained withapparatus of very simple and economical construction, and which may beassembled readily by an inexperienced user, such as a merchant to whomthe display may be furnished by the manufacturer or distributor ofnationally advertised orV distributed commodities. Described generally,the invention contemplates the provision of a suitable support', inconjunction with which movable display members are arranged for display,and actuating means for same whereby they may be given certain movementsappropriate to the commodity and theY advertisemental idea which thedisplay is intended to, impart. This actuating mechanism comprises apivot- 79 ally'mounted drive shaft, which is suitably actuated, as bymeans of a wind wheel driven by a blast of air from an ordinary electricfan, and which drive shaft, by suitable connections or linkages, isadapted to impart irregular, oscillatory or reciprocatory motion to thedisplay members. This action is obtained by the moving of the driveshaft on its pivot, whereby its angularity is changed, said pivotalmovement of the shaft being in- 80 duced by its cooperation with aneccentric disk or camming device, which is rotated by the shaft, andwhich controls in a cyclic fashion the pivotal movement of the shaft andthe resulting movement of the linkages through which motion istransmitted to the display members.

A more detailed understanding of the in vention may be had by referenceto the example shown in the drawing. It will be understood that in theform here shown, the reference numeral 10 designates a display sheetwhich may be supported upright by suitable foldable braces or brackets11, disev posed at its rear. This sheet aifords a dis- 9.5' playaperture 12, and behind this depends a screen 14, which is also securedto the display sheet. Pivoted on the display sheet at 15, and extendingpart way across the view aperture. are movable display members 16, 1

motion effects may beobtaine l.

constituting arms of levers whose opposite arms 1Gan are concealedbehind the display sheet and connected to a transverse link 17. Pivotedat 1S on the display sheet or support, and connected pivotally at 1 withthe link 17, is a bell crank member 19. Behind the display sheet isdisposed a frame which may be of the construction described in detailand. claimed in my co-pending application Serial No. SGQEQ, i'iledconcurrently herewith, which frame is connected to the display sheet b ytabs 21, whereby those parts are held in the desired relationship. Thisframe supports in upright position a strip-21 which, at its top, carriesa bearing yoke member 2Q, having; upturned ends in which is ournaled acam shaft 2li. To one end of this cam shaft is secured the rotatable camor eccentric disk 25. A block 26 is pivoted on the side of the strip Q1,as by a bolt 2T, so that it may oscillate in a vertical plane paralleltothe face of the strip, and this block carries depending' lugs or earsin which is jinirnaled the actuating' shaft 29. it its rear end thisshaft has a driving` member, such as a wind wheel 30, demountablyconnected thereto, and at the other end it is journaled in the bellcrank member 19, its point of connection with said member being' atangles with both the pivots 18 and 18a. A small/guide sheave 31 isallixed to the shaft 29 m position to bear on the rim of the eccentricdisk 25.

When the wind wheel 3() is driven by a. blast of air c -rected againstit from the rear, the drive shaft 29 is rotated to drive the sheave 31.The sheave is maintained in con tact with the margin of the eccentricdisk Q5 by the weight of the wind wheel, which tends to rotate the block9.6 on its pivot. frs the sheave 31 rotates, it rotates the eccentricdisk by virtue of their frictional driving en- LQaeement. is the disk 25rotates, due to its eccentric contour, it varies the inclination of thedrive shaft which variation `is accommodated by the pivotal mounting oft ie block 'l1 his raises and lowers the forward ond of the drive shaftin accordance with the variations in the contour of the disk 25, and byvirtue of the connection of the bell crank member with the shaft, suchangular movenent of the shaft causes the bell crank member to swing onits pivot 18. Thislprodnces oscillatory movement of the pivot 1S, andconsequently a reciprocatory movement of the link 17, which movement ofthe link swings the levers i5 and causes the display members 16 to takea swaying or oscillatory movement. This movement is controlled by thecontour of the oisk 25 and, dependingw on said contour, may beirregular, regular or jerky, as desiree. Thus, a great variety of ln theei;- ample illustratec, the display members will be given movementswhereby they appear to be tugving on the pair of spectacles whereby theyare connected. It is obvious that the movement of these display membersis not dependent on this last mentioned interconnection, however.

The apparatus may be packed in a very small depth, as the braces 11 maybe folded down dat against the sheet, the strip 21 de tached and theframe 2O folded down ilat, as described in the copendins; applicationreferred to, and the wind wheel and the disk 25 detached from theirshafts and laid flat, together with the strip 21, so that the entireapparatus may be packed in a very shallow carton. lt .vill be apparentthat the assembly of the device for use is very easy, the only driving;connection which it is necessary to make being the insertion of thefront end of the drive shaft into its hole in the bell crank member 19.

lWhat I claim is:

l. In moving display apparatus, in combination, a movable displaymember, a pivota-lly mounted rotatable shaft operably connected withsaid. display member, means for rotating said shaft, and a cam memberrotatable by said shaft and cooperatingr therewith to induce movement ofthe shaft on its pivot.

2. ln moving display apparatus, in combination, a movable displaymember, a driving shaft havingr operative connection with the displaymember. said shaft mounted for pivotal movement, and an actuating`member mounted on the sha At at a distance from the pivot of the sameand effective to control pivotal movement of the shaft by gravity.

8. In moving display apparatus, in combination, an actuating shaft, saidactuating shaft having a pivotal mounting, a rotary member liar/'ing`frictional driving cngagement with saidshaft, and an actuating memberconnected with the shaft and tendingV by its weight to hold the same infrictional drivin engagement with said rotary member.

t. ln moving` display apparatus, a combiation as specified in claim 3and including a movable display member operably connected with theactuating shaft.

5. ln moving; display apparatus, a combination as specified in claim 1and wherein said cam member is of eccentric contour.

6. ln moving display apparatus, a combination as specified in claim 1and includingr a lever connection between the shaft and display memberwhereby oscillatory movement of the shaft induces oscillatorymovement ofthe display member.

7. In moving display apparatus, in combination, an oscillable displaymember, an oscillable shaft operably connected therewith, means forrotating the shaft, and means driven by said shaft forefectingoscillation thereof.

8. ln moving` display apparatus, in com bination, a rotatable.shaftimounted for oscillatory movement, a movable display memberoperably connected to said shaft, a support to which said display memberis pivoted, a Wind Wheel mounted on the shaft and operable by a blast ofair to rotate the same, and

means operable by rotation of the shaft to y effect oscillation thereof.

9. In movable display apparatus, in combination, a support, a movabledisplay member pivoted thereon, a pivotally mounted shaft operablyconnected with the display member, and a Wind Wheel mounted on the shaftand operable by a blast of air to rotate the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

HORACE S. WILSON.

